Connected: A YHM Story ✔️

Chapter 12 - The One With Ruhi's Custody Hearing

Delhi Civil Court - June 14th, 11 am

"We are gathered here for the temporary custody hearing of minor Ruhi Bhalla. The contenders are biological mother Shagun Arora and biological father Raman Bhalla. May the proceedings begin," Judge Bakshi declared with such conviction that there was no doubt who commanded the courtroom.

The contenders in question were seated on opposite sides of the courtroom in the front row, Raman on the left and Shagun on the right. Shagun sat with Ashok beside her, and apart from a couple secretaries, their side was relatively empty. In contrast, Raman had the support of the big Bhalla family. Mihir sat beside Raman occasionally offering him some water or a snack, considering he hadn't eaten anything since he woke up. Toshi and Omprakash Bhalla sat in the second row along with Pulkit and Simi who had arrived there with Ananya to support Raman. Rinki and Romi wanted to come too but their father forbade them from skipping class. They left reluctantly with the promise of coming during their lunch break, after their morning lectures were over and before their evening classes started.

Ishita sat in the third row, away from the Bhallas, giving them space to be a family. Truthfully speaking, that was actually her excuse to isolate herself. Toshi and Simi had offered her a seat with them in the second row, but she declined. Amma and Appa wanted to be here to support her but she forced them to stay home with Ruhi. She was going to be called during the lunch recess by the judge and there was no reason for her to be here before then to witness her parents fighting in court. She even urged Mihika, Vandu, and Bala to continue with their jobs. She didn't want anyone around her. She was going to lose the center of her universe today. Her world was coming off its axis. It would break her like nothing ever had, and she refused to put her family through such misery again.

The proceedings began. Both lawyers made their respective cases. Shagun's lawyer painted a picture of a poor helpless woman who had to let go of her baby due to circumstances but has now shown up to right her wrongs and take care of her daughter. With Ashok by her side, she had the financial footing to provide for her and the emotional support to take care of her. The focus of his argument, however, was Shagun's motherly love. She, as the mother, had the biggest right on Ruhi and she, as the mother, would be the best for Ruhi. The judge seemed to buy every part of his argument.

Raman's lawyer Pathak, claimed that unlike Shagun, Raman had his entire family by his side to raise Ruhi. Her grandparents, her aunts and uncles, and even the Iyer family. In terms of money, he was no further behind than Ashok. His business was among the top most in the city, if not the country. He has known Ruhi on a personal level for much longer than Shagun and so she was bonded with him. It was only right not to uproot Ruhi from the family where she has already found her home.

Then, the cross-questioning started. Shagun's lawyer pointed out as many flaws as he could in Raman ranging from his anger to his drinking habits. He questioned him in the witness box on how much time he spent with Ruhi, proving that he spent the majority of his time in his office and barely took out time for Ruhi.

Pathak questioned Shagun on her decision to leave Ruhi in the orphanage when she easily could have left her at Raman's doorstep. However, his questions were met with fake inaudible sobs rather than answers, and the judge had to step in and stop the questioning.

Once the lawyers were done, Judge Bakshi laid her pen down and began to think. She saw that financially both parents were on equal footing. Both also had a support system. Shagun had Ashok while Raman had his family. But at the end of the day, she had to evaluate both parents, not their supporters. Shagun had made her case very clear: she loved Ruhi and was willing to go any lengths for her. She saw it in her words and actions. She promised to love her and look after her. On the other hand, Raman's priorities seemed to lie elsewhere. He spent way too much time at work and not enough with Ruhi. He hadn't denied his anger or alcohol problems making him a bad candidate to be a parent. The decision seemed more than clear to her. Shagun should get custody.